The Adventure Fox

When it comes to deciding what next trip you want to take or perhaps what direction you want these adventures to start shaping your life, its important to realize life’s seasons can be the biggest influence on what affects your choices.

At different stages of my life, I was able to choose certain adventures over others due to timing, seasons, finances, etc. One of the biggest predictors of what trails, or adventures you’ll be able to take on is unfortunately weather. Seasons will be one of the biggest factors when choosing where and when you’ll attempt a trip of your choosing. When you’re backpacking, this is the uptmost import factor to consider especially when certain areas tend to run low or completely run dry of water on your route. This as you can imagine, can be lethal.

One of the other biggest factors you’ll encounter when choosing trails or mountains to summit is permits. As time goes by, more and more of America’s most iconic natural wonder’s require permits or a lottery system to be able to access the trail. Many people that have done certain trails or summits completed them when no such system was in place, so it’s important to plan ahead when doing a trail that may not have been regulated even a year ago.

A third, big factor when choosing your adventure is work, and finances. I list this third because it’s not the biggest obstacle in your decision making in reality. There are many ways in which you can do big things with very little. There are certain things you cannot skimp on, such as cold weather gear or items for sun protection. I’ve done Gray’s Peak, a 14er, in CO with a pair of Harely boots because I didn’t have hiking boots at the time and a friend invited me when I was still living in AZ.

Other than making do with what you have, we have to face the reality of having the time off of work to make some of these dreams a reality. Some of us are some caught up in the improbability of a dream that we almost dismiss certain goals as a fantasy. It’s important to be as open minded as possible when determining what you want to achieve. It will not always be easy securing the time off work, or winning the lottery for one of your dream hikes. One of the greatest skills you’ll learn from a life of adventure is the ability to pivot.

Sometimes, the trail or hike you had in mind doesn’t work out. Reasons can range from family emergencies, wild fires on the trail, a drought, or work issues. I’ve had many successful trips in the books, but I’ve had more than my fair share of failure to launch adventures due to a plethora of reasons. The reality is, often when those trips don’t work out, things are working out for your greatest good. It can be hard to accept these set backs at the time, but thats when you re-evaluate, re-plan and execute according to your new circumstance.

As I continue to share some of my experiences, I hope to review trails, or hikes as they are seasonally relevant. I also have a couple of important projects I want to do to my RV that I’m hoping to document and share. As I discuss helpful items for different types of trips, I’ll try to include helpful links for both the items and websites that pertain to the subject at hand.

Keep on dreaming, keep on planning, and keep on exploring this beautiful world.